party - Around My Family Table

Red, White, & Blue Layered Drinks

May 20, 2013 · by amft · 8 Comments

If you are having a patriotic party, or need 4th of July recipes, or even some red, white, and blue ideas then you have to make this layered red, white, & blue drink. It’s non-alcoholic, filled with 2 fruit juices and some diet Sprite (yes, it has to be diet).

I love surprising my kids with special treats to celebrate the holidays. It’s never anything super fancy, just something to acknowledge the holiday and to make the day stand out from other days. Last year, I made a fun Patriotic Berry and Angel Food Cake Platter. I’ve never seen the kids eat so many berries at one time.

My daughter was looking at pinterest with me several months ago and she saw a layered drink for a party, so I thought it would be fun to surprise her with this. It turned out so cute that I had to share with y’all!

The drink works by using premade juices and sodas that have different molecular weights…yeah that was a blast to college chemistry, wasn’t it? To get the soda to float on top you have to use a diet version. Urgh….I hate diet soda, but figured for this one drink (plus there was tons of other sugar in the drink) that it would be okay. I ended up using Sprite Zero.

Another important tip is to take your time! This is not something you just pour into the cup. It still doesn’t take much time, but slowly pouring is key to have the layers not totally mix together.

Do you have any favorite patriotic party ideas or 4th of July recipes? I’d love to hear what you do to celebrate!

Red, White, & Blue Layered Drinks

Fun and impressive red, white, and blue layered drink for 4th of July or any other patriotic parties!

Cranberry Juice or Hawaiian Punch

Blue G2 Gatorade

Sprite Zero

Ice

Colored Sugar

Pretty Glasses

Dip rim of glass in water and then into colored sugar. Gently add ice to cup so you don't disturb the colored sugar.

Starting with the drink with the most sugar (cranberry juice or hawaiian punch), fill the glass 1/3 full. Then move on to the drink with a lower sugar content (G2). Pour this slowly and gently over the ice so that it does not disturb the cranberry juice, glass should now be 2/3 full. Finally, use the drink with the lowest sugar content (Sprite Zero) and pour the same way until glass is full.

http://www.aroundmyfamilytable.com/2013/05/red-white-blue-layered-drinks/

Filed Under: beverages, df beverages, holidays and activities, kid friendly, non-alcoholic, patriotic · Tagged: 4th of July, beverages, drinks, party, patriotic

Lego Party Ideas

May 13, 2013 · by amft · 12 Comments

A couple of weeks ago my little man celebrated his 4th birthday. He was very adamant that he wanted a lego party, even though party themes like this are not my favorite type of party I happily planned a fun lego party for him. I decided to keep this birthday party on a budget, so I didn’t go overboard on birthday party supplies, birthday party games, party invitations, or party decorations.

I love coming up with kids birthday ideas for my little ones. They are only small once, but that doesn’t mean the parties need to break the bank. There are tons of great kids party ideas around and I know there are a bazillion lego party ideas, but these are my ideas for a budget friendly, yet totally amazing kid’s lego birthday party.

I have a friend who is very handy with photoshop and so she makes my party invitations (and I make her birthday cakes). This invite was pretty simple so I thought I would share with y’all. She used a flat lego board and used legos to create the initial. She took a picture with her digital camera and then used photo editing software and a free lego font to add the party details. Such a creative idea! (Note: some of it looks a bit off because I edited out our personal info.)

Since we weren’t having our party at the house (and because my son loves cupcakes), we opted not to have a huge lego cake, but lego cupcakes! Aren’t these super cute? They were so simple. I used my favorite amazing white cake recipe plus almond buttercream frosting and then topped them off with edible lego candies! Technically, the candies were supposed to be able to be stacked and used to build things, but I couldn’t get them to work so I just shoved them in the frosting.

Instead of buying the premade cheap looking party bag favors, I made these cute lego bags. All I used was a small gift bag with a handle and 2 inch circles cut in the same color cardstock. I used my silhouette, but scissors or a 2 inch punch would work too. Then just use double stick tape or scrapbook adhesive to stick the circles on the bag. So cute and super easy!

I did buy lego hats because the kids begged for them at the store. They added some nice color to the table! Check out Amazon for a ton of Lego Party Supplies…they have a huge selection.

For a fun and easy game that was totally free (because we have about a bazillion legos) was this hurricane that I filled with hundreds of legos, stuck a note in it asking everyone to guess how many were in the vase. Cute centerpiece, fun game, and colorful too! The winner got some extra edible lego candies (not the legos).

The kids loved these cute lego head marshmallow pops! I will be sharing a step by step on how to make these cute pops soon. The kids had a blast helping me make them and picking out what faces to add to the pops. I could see these being a fun craft for the party, but I just had my kids help while I did other party planning.

The super duper happy birthday boy!

Filed Under: birthdays, holidays and activities, kid friendly, parties, party food, party themes · Tagged: legos, party, party food

1 Minute Dixie Cup Cakes

February 25, 2013 · by amft · 16 Comments

I think I have created a monster! Making individual serving cakes in a coffee mug with a cake mix in the microwave is nothing new. However, many of the recipes call for regular cake mix plus the addition of angel food cake mix (for the egg), put it the microwave on 50% power for a couple minutes and ta-da there is a small cake. I think this is even better. Did you know, it works just as good without the angel food cake mix? Yep, you don’t need it! Plus cooking it in a paper Dixie Cup saves on clean-up. So, without further ado, let me introduce you to my little friends that I call 1 Minute Dixie Cup Cakes.

Apparently, I have some sort of paper cup buying problem and had a gazillion of them in the pantry. {Please, don’t judge me!} Some quick google searches led me to a couple sites for baking cakes in these little handy paper cups, which got me to thinkin’…could I “bake” my cake in the microwave.

I have a huge package of the tiny 3 oz cups from a Costco impulse buy when my 8yo was little. I had grand plans of cute little snacks in them…which obviously didn’t work. What I did realize is that the 3 oz size is the perfect…I mean the PERFECT size for little mouths!

I can see this size working out nicely for after school snacks, a quick after supper treat, fun slumber party treats, and on and on. I bet my 8yo could make these without any help at all….in fact I know she could!

Stop the presses! There is one problem though…the 3 oz cup size was not a good size for Mommy! I dug around until I found the mother load …the 12 oz paper Dixie Cups hiding in the far corner of my pantry. There she should in all her glory, waiting {no, begging} for me to fill her with cake mix. And so I did. It was a glorious site as I watched that cake batter get all bubbly as it turned and turned in the microwave for what seemed like an eternity Luckily, this size only takes one minute and ten seconds….and then…that wonderful chocolate cake hit my mouth. {Who knew I was only 70 seconds away from chocolate cake all this time?}

Really, any size cup will work for this, you might just need to play around with your batter amounts and microwave times.

The best part is the lack of clean up. There is no mixer, no pans, no oil cup, or egg shells…heck there isn’t even a coffee cup to clean. Just one tablespoon and a fork. That makes this a winner for me any day!

Disclaimer…..this is NOT a sponsored post. Dixie Cups has no idea who I am and that I created this fabulous treat using their cups! LOL!

You have to tell me if you make these and what you think! My kids thought I was the best mom in the world!

1 Minute Dixie Cup Cakes

1 package cake mix (any flavor)

water

3oz or 12oz paper Dixie Cups

Toppings: frosting, sprinkles, ice cream (opt)

For the 12 oz cup:

1/2 cup plus 1tbl cake mix

1/4 tbls water

1:10 min in the microwave

In a 12oz Dixie Cup combine cake mix and water and stir well. Batter should be thick. Place in microwave for 1 minute and 10 seconds. Let cool for one minute or so and then add toppings.

For the 3 oz cup:

3 tbls cake

1 tbl water

45 seconds in the microwave

In a 3oz Dixie Cup combine cake mix and water and stir well. Batter should be thick. Place in microwave for 45 seconds. Let cool for one minute or so and then add toppings.

http://www.aroundmyfamilytable.com/2013/02/1-minute-dixie-cup-cakes/

Filed Under: birthdays, cakes/cupcakes, desserts, ef desserts, ef parties, ef snacks, egg free, kid friendly, kids in the kitchen, parties, party food, snacks · Tagged: cake, desserts, egg free, kids, microwave, party, party food

Black & White Tablescape for Two

February 1, 2013 · by amft · 9 Comments

I love creating special party themes for my kids birthdays, but this time I thought I would surprise Hubbyman with a late night romantic dessert and this fabulous Black & White Tablescape for Two. I was inspired by Moll Anderson’s new book Seductive Tables for Two.

Moll has tons of great information in her new book and it’s filled with great photos, tips, recipes, and ideas for setting the perfect table for two. I decided that the perfect place for my romantic evening was by my fireplace. I don’t have a small table, so I had to great creative. Moll gave several examples in the book about using creative items as tables..so why not my fireplace. Right?

I think my romantic Black & White Tablescape for Two turned out great!

I had everything in place when hubbyman came home from work, but he had to wait. Our romantic evening wasn’t scheduled until after the kids were in bed. Oh the anticipation and excitement from having to wait was killing him! It was no surprise that we ate early, got homework done, chores done, and kids in bed super fast that night.

When the little guy was asleep, I lit the candles and pulled out the chocolate cake. We grabbed some pillows and had a romantic dessert, just the two of us, by candlelight. We had such a great time reconnecting on a Tuesday night for absolutely no reason at all. It was fun to surprise hubbyman and I can’t wait to do it again.

Check out Moll on Twitter or her radio show on XM Talk 168 every Saturday at 5:00 pm EST. And check out my experience shopping for the book on my Google+ page.

Disclaimer: I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias® #cbias #SocialFabric #SeductiveTables. All opinions are my own.

Filed Under: parties · Tagged: book, party, review

Pina Colada Fruit Dip

January 9, 2013 · by amft · 6 Comments

I’m always trying to figure out how to get healthy foods into my kids, but I have to stay on my toes or they get bored. Unfortunately, many of the Pina Colada Fruit Dips call for instant coconut pudding, which is not healthy at all. I knew I could make a similar tasting dip without pudding and make it healthy enough for even a fun breakfast. I’ve done fruit dips before, but I think this one really impressed the kids! This dip is so refreshing and I love this little chunks from the crushed pineapple; however, if you aren’t a fan of slightly chunky dips then give it a whirl in the blender before serving.

Since it is January and I’m trying to feed my family healthier (darn those pesky resolutions), I thought a yogurt dip was perfect! It has tons of calcium, healthy probiotics, protein, and all the other health benefits associated with dairy.

Plus aren’t those cute fruit pieces perfect for Valentine’s Day! I just sliced the fruit thin and used a small heart-shaped cookie cutter. Super simple, right? I think these will make an appearance on our breakfast table for Valentine’s. Today, though, it was an after school snack. My oldest usually begs for ice cream after school, not sure why…I hardly ever give it to her. Once I placed this platter in front of her, she gobbled it and didn’t even ask for ice cream.

I wasn’t able to actually try this dip, but I served it to hubbyman and the piano teacher. Both agreed that it was “super yummy” and hubbyman said it reminded him of the Pina Coladas we had on our honeymoon in Jamaica (without all rum).

Pina Colada Fruit Dip

8 oz can of crushed pineapple, undrained

3/4 cup vanilla yogurt

1 tsp coconut extract

garish with extra sweetened shredded coconut

In a small mixing, combine ingredients. If you prefer a smooth dip, give it a pulse or two in a blender.

Serve with slices of melon, berries, grapes, pineapple, and apple slices.

http://www.aroundmyfamilytable.com/2013/01/pina-colada-fruit-dip/

Disclaimer: This post was made in partnership with AZ Milk Producers. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Filed Under: appetizers, ef appetizers, ef parties, ef snacks, gf appetizers, gf parties, gf snacks, kid friendly, parties, party food, snacks, valentine's · Tagged: appetizer, dessert, dip, fruit, party, pineapple

Amazing White Cake

December 21, 2012 · by amft · 2 Comments

I enjoy baking from scratch and always make my kids a fancy schmancy cake for their birthdays. Everyone raves about my white cake and I have several friends (ahem…Janice) who has complained on several occasions that my white cake recipe is not on AMFT. Well…here it is…my Amazing White Cake recipe. It’s pretty fail proof and and has a great crumb.

For my daughter’s birthday last August I made “princess” cupcakes. They really weren’t anything special except I added course sugar on the top of the frosting in different colors and the kids loved it. Check out these recipes if you get a chance….Princess Sparkle Cupcakes and How to Make Colored Sugar! I made these special for my daughter because she can’t have the dyes, but she was happy that all her friends were able to have fun colored cupcakes!

I was calling these my snow white cupcakes, but figured every one would wonder why Snow White was not part of the recipe. So I renamed them. LOL!

Do you bake from scratch or from a boxed mix? I don’t think there is anything wrong with either. I prefer from scratch..if you couldn’t tell.

I really enjoy it. It gives me great pleasure to know that I created something for my family and I know what went into it. I do take short cuts every so often when we are super busy or not feeling well, but I honestly can’t wait to get back into the kitchen to CREATE something. It’s almost therapeutic

Except the dishes…I hate that part!

Amazing White Cake

2 3/4 cups AP flour

1 1/2 cups, plus 2 tbls sugar

1 tbl baking powder

12 tbl butter, softened

4 large egg whites + 1 large egg

3/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup water

2 tsps real vanilla extract

1 tsp almond extract

Preheat oven to 350F.

Mix all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl fitted to an electric mixer. Add softened butter and combine on low speed.

Add egg whites, one at a time, then beat mix in whole egg.

Gently stir in sour cream, water, and extracts, beating to keep the mixture fluffy.

Grease and flour pans of choice: 2-8" or 9" round or square cake pans, 1-9"x13" pan, or 24 cupcake tins (using papers).

Bake at 350F. Bake for 18 minutes, then check every few minutes (5 minute intervals at the most) for cupcakes or layer cakes, 30 minutes for 9"x13".

http://www.aroundmyfamilytable.com/2012/12/amazing-white-cake/

White Almond Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup butter, softened*

1/2 cup shortening

2 tbls warm water (2-3)

1 tsp almond extract

1 lb confectioners sugar

*(or keep it dairy free by using all butter flavored shortening)

Beat together butter, shortening, 1 tbsp of warm water, and almond until smooth and creamy. Beat in the sugar gradually on a low setting. Scrape sides of bowl as needed.

Mixture will be very thick. After all sugar is incorporated, add 1-2 more tbsp. of warm water and beat at medium/medium-high speed for 1-2 more minutes. Adding more warm water will continue to thin the frosting consistency and bring down the sweetness even more. Add as much as you like to get the appropriate flavor and consistency. Be careful because a little goes a long way.

The frosting can also be made several days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature, then mix well before using. Leftovers should be refrigerated.

Get the look by using Decorating Tube 1M fitted into a piping bag.

http://www.aroundmyfamilytable.com/2012/12/amazing-white-cake/

Filed Under: birthdays, cakes/cupcakes, desserts, frosting, parties, party food · Tagged: cake, cupcakes, dessert, frosting, party, scratch

Pizza Fixin’s Bar Party Ideas

September 27, 2012 · by amft · 65 Comments

We have family parties all the time and love to have friends over for dinner. I love cooking for other people, but sometimes I love to let people create their own masterpieces…like with a hot dog bar, nacho station, or these fun pizza fixin’s bar party ideas.

I was already planning on having family over on Sunday, but after the drama of our house almost burning down on Saturday I decided to keep the party relatively simple. Basically, I purged my fridge and came up with some awesome pizza ideas using the new Flatout Pizza Bread. It has like 7g of protein and only 150 calories per flatbread. So they are really pretty healthy.

I had traditional goodies on hand too for the kids (and the adults) who didn’t want to get creative. The flatbreads really made quick work of everyone’s pizza. Hubbyman pre-cooked one side on the grill before everyone arrived, so everyone just had to top their pizzas and throw it back on the grill for a couple more minutes. We used a pizza stone on the grill, but it’s not necessary.

Here are the four fabulous pizzas we created:

Greek Pizza
Carne Asada Pizza
Chicken Fajita Pizza
BBQ Pork Pizza

I think the favorite of the day had to be the BBQ pork pizza.

Greek Pizza

Topping Suggestions for the Greek Pizza:

garlic olive oil
feta
black olives
kalamata olives
spinach
onions, peppers, tomatoes
gyro meat
tzatziki sauce

Carne Asada Pizza

Topping Suggestions for the Carne Asada Pizza:

garlic olive oil
carne asada meat (or thinly sliced cooked steak)
caramelized onions
green onions
shredded mozerella cheese

Chicken Fajita Pizza

Topping Suggestions for the Chicken Fajita Pizza:

pizza/tomato sauce
fajita chicken meat
jalapenos (fresh or pickled)
mexican blend shredded cheese
bacon bits
veggies

BBQ Pork Pizza

Topping Suggestions for the BBQ Pork Pizza:

garlic olive oil
caramelized onions
bbq pork
slices of mozzarella cheese
drizzle of blue cheese dressing

Disclaimer: Flatout Bread and the Motherhood provided me with the pizza bread and compensation to buy toppings for the party. All opinions and recipe ideas are my own.

Filed Under: beef, grilling, main dishes, party food, party themes, pork, poultry, vegetarian · Tagged: grilling, party, party food, pizza

Build Your Own Ice Cream Cake

September 7, 2012 · by amft · 20 Comments

A couple weeks ago, I hosted an end of summer Messy Party for my kids and a few of their friends. Usually, I’m a super control freak and make the cake as perfect as I can get it, but once in a blue moon I let my hair down and let the kids go for it! So while this is not the best looking cake…

It tastes fantastic!

And the kids had a blast!

There really isn’t a “recipe” per se, but more of a technique…it’s so easy, but does take some time since all the layers have to frozen as they go into the pan. Oh and the pan….a springform pan is a must.

Start with a layer of crushed oreos mixed with melted butter, pressed into the springform pan.

(20 oreos crushed and mixed with 3 tbls melted butter)

Heat up a small jar of hot fudge (minus the lid) and pour about 3/4 of the jar over the oreo crust.

Freeze!

I cheated (shhh…don’t tell) and used a store bought vanilla loaf cake. Feel free to bake up your own. Make sure that it completely covers the fudge topping layer.

Freeze for an hour!

(ummm…forgot to take a picture of the next step…sorry)

Thaw a 1/2 gallon carton of chocolate ice cream so that it is spreadable, but not melted.

Spread evenly over frozen cake layer, then freeze until it’s totally frozen.

Next, using a 1 gallon container of cookies & cream ice cream, scoop out pretty scoops and place on top of chocolate layer.

Freeze again until solid.

Let kids decorate with what ever toppings you desire.

Nuts, Sprinkles (dye-free for us), Hot Fudge, Caramel, Whipped Cream, Cherries

Freeze again if it got too melty, otherwise; pop the cake out of the pan and…

EAT!

Am I the only one who has the ice cream and cake and cake song in their head? I’ve been singing the whole time I wrote this. LOL!

Filed Under: cakes/cupcakes, desserts, frozen treats, how to, parties, party food · Tagged: cake, ice cream, party

Messy Party Ideas

August 27, 2012 · by amft · 25 Comments

Last week we had an end of summer party, messy-style. The kids invited a few friends to the party. Kids love to get messy and dirty; this party not only allows it, but encourages it! Grab hold of your party hats folks…this post is full of tons Messy Party Ideas!

Since it was sill hot outside, we started our party inside. They

colored pillowcases. Using permanent markers and fabric markers the kids let their creative juices flow while they colored their new pillowcases.
made gak. Each of the kids got to pick their color and take home their creation.
decorated the ice cream cake. All the toppings were laid out and they decided how to decorate it.

Messy Party Ideas and Recipes: Make your own Ice Cream Cake

By this time, it had cooled off a bit and the backyard was shaded. The kids still had no idea what was coming. The kids changed into their swimsuits and headed outside. Outside got a bit wild and really messy.

The kids decorated cookies and yes they were able to eat them before supper. Check out the awesome tray I just got from Zak Designs…it’s beautiful, sturdy, and big enough to carry out all the cookie supplies. Love it!
The centerpiece was a paint can filled with fresh bright flowers and a few paint brushes from the dollar store. Cute!
The backdrop is an old sheet sprayed with paint give a messy feel to the party.
The table was covered with a cheap plastic tablecloth…a must for any messy party!
The place settings are from Zak Designs too. The messy wet paint look is the perfect addition to the party.

After cookie decorating and eating came the best messy games.

Water bottles were filled with washable paint, then thinned down with water. The kids were given the bottles and a few rules, then they went crazy spraying each other, the backdrop, the playcenter. This was their favorite activity by far.
Giant bubbles a little plastic swimming pool with string and hula hoops.
Water balloons.
The last activity was the water hose and trampoline. It cleaned up the kids and burned off the rest of the energy.

We headed inside to changed into dry clothes for supper.

Sloppy Sausage Joes
Muddy “Nutella” Buddies
Corn on the Cob
Coleslaw
Ice Cream Cake (recipe coming this week)

Messy Party Ideas and Recipes: BBQ Sliders & Ice Cream Cake

Love to throw parties? Check out all my parties on my Party Themes page.

Disclaimer: Zak Designs provided the table settings and tray for the party. I was not compensated and all opinions are my own. This post also had a giveaway associated with it, but the giveaway is over now.